AP Music Theory Practice Quiz: Relative Keys: Determining Relative Minor Key and Notating Key Signatures

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 13 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 13

According to the provided text, what is the defining characteristic of a relative key relationship?

A)They start on the same tonic but have different key signatures.B)They share the same key signature but start on a different tonic.C)They have key signatures that are inversions of each other.D)They always begin and end on the dominant chord of the original key.

All Questions (13)

According to the provided text, what is the defining characteristic of a relative key relationship?

A) They start on the same tonic but have different key signatures.

B) They share the same key signature but start on a different tonic.

C) They have key signatures that are inversions of each other.

D) They always begin and end on the dominant chord of the original key.

Correct Answer: B

The content explicitly states that a relative key 'shares the same key signature as the original but starts on a different tonic.'

If a piece of music is in a major key, its relative minor key will have:

A) a completely different key signature.

B) the same key signature.

C) one more sharp or one less flat in the key signature.

D) the same tonic note.

Correct Answer: B

The text states, 'A minor key has the same key signature as the major of which it is a relative.' This relationship is reciprocal.

A musical score has a key signature of two flats (B♭ and E♭). Which of the following pairs represents the potential relative major and minor keys?

A) B♭ Major and G minor

B) E♭ Major and C minor

C) F Major and D minor

D) G minor and C minor

Correct Answer: A

The key signature of two flats corresponds to the key of B♭ Major. The relative minor of a major key shares that same key signature. G minor is the relative minor of B♭ Major.

A composer writes a piece in E♭ Major. If they wish to shift to the relative minor key, what will be the new tonic, and how will the key signature change?

A) The new tonic will be C, and the key signature will remain the same.

B) The new tonic will be G, and the key signature will change to one flat.

C) The new tonic will be C, and the key signature will change to no sharps or flats.

D) The new tonic will be E♭, and the key signature will change to six flats.

Correct Answer: A

The relative minor of E♭ Major is C minor. As defined in the text, relative keys share the same key signature (three flats in this case) but have different tonics.

While listening to a piece of music that begins in a clear major key, you notice a shift to a section that sounds minor but does not seem to introduce any new chromaticism inconsistent with the original key signature. This new section is most likely in the:

A) parallel minor key.

B) dominant key.

C) subdominant key.

D) relative minor key.

Correct Answer: D

The description aligns with a shift to a relative key. The key signature is shared (implying no new chromaticism is needed to establish the key), and the mode changes from major to minor, which points to the relative minor.

Which of the following keys is the relative major of F♯ minor?

A) D Major

B) A Major

C) F♯ Major

D) E Major

Correct Answer: B

F♯ minor has a key signature of three sharps. The major key that shares this key signature is A Major. Therefore, A Major is the relative major of F♯ minor.

A piece of notated music has a key signature of four sharps. The final chord of the piece is a C♯ minor triad. What is the relative major key of this piece?

A) F♯ Major

B) C♯ Major

C) E Major

D) B Major

Correct Answer: C

The key signature of four sharps can be either E Major or C♯ minor. Since the piece ends on a C♯ minor triad, it establishes C♯ minor as the tonic. The relative major is the major key that shares the same key signature, which is E Major.

The process of identifying a relative key in notated music primarily involves analyzing the key signature and the:

A) time signature.

B) tempo marking.

C) tonic.

D) dynamics.

Correct Answer: C

The provided text emphasizes two components for relative keys: they share a key signature but start on a different tonic. Therefore, after observing the key signature, one must identify the tonic to determine whether the piece is in the major or the relative minor key.

A passage shifts from D Major to B minor. What is the relationship between these two keys?

A) They are parallel keys.

B) They are relative keys.

C) D Major is the dominant of B minor.

D) They have no direct relationship.

Correct Answer: B

D Major has a key signature of two sharps. B minor also has a key signature of two sharps. Since they share the same key signature but have different tonics (D and B), they are relative keys.

When notating a piece in A minor, what key signature should be written at the beginning of the staff?

A) No sharps or flats.

B) One sharp (F♯).

C) Three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭).

D) One flat (B♭).

Correct Answer: A

To notate a minor key, one must use the key signature of its relative major. The relative major of A minor is C Major. C Major has no sharps or flats in its key signature. Therefore, A minor is notated with an empty key signature.

The text mentions that a passage can shift to a relative key. This type of key change is also known as a:

A) transposition.

B) modulation.

C) sequence.

D) inversion.

Correct Answer: B

While the word 'modulation' is not explicitly in the provided text, the phrase 'the key to which a passage shifts' is the definition of modulation. In the context of AP Music Theory, a shift in key is a modulation.

You are analyzing a score with a key signature of one flat. The melody frequently centers around the pitch D, and phrases often conclude on a D minor chord. The key is most likely:

A) F Major.

B) D Major.

C) B♭ Major.

D) D minor.

Correct Answer: D

A key signature of one flat indicates either F Major or its relative, D minor. The musical context, with melodic focus and cadences on D, confirms that D is the tonic, making the key D minor.

A composer wants to write a piece in G minor but notate it using its relative key signature. What key signature should they use?

A) One sharp, because the key is G.

B) Two flats, because the relative major is B-flat Major.

C) Two sharps, because the relative major is D Major.

D) One flat, because the parallel major is G Major.

Correct Answer: B

The principle is that a minor key uses the key signature of its relative major. The relative major of G minor is B-flat Major. The key signature for B-flat Major is two flats (B♭ and E♭). Therefore, G minor is notated with two flats.